Why not use mag citrate? My ds takes it daily to keep him regular.

Yes. There are many exercises where the teacher reads something aloud and the student writes it, or divides it into syllables, or what have you. You definitely need the TM,

I use a soft travel backpack as my only suitcase when flying around Europe. Mine is Hynes Eagle brand, 38 L size, from Amazon. I just bought my dd a Cabin Max bag. Do is fkying with his Cabin Max bag to D.C. this week. Because they are lightweight, you can pack more weight. Mine has backpack straps, but also has handles on the top and side. It's easy to carry. We do use travel cubes, not so much to compress as to organize. I don't like wheeled suitcases. They are so obnoxiously loud when being wheeled down streets, especially cobblestones. They are uncomfortable to carry, and their weight limits what you can pack. And if you have to run for a train - good luck!

My did had one, but grew a bump by the hole that wouldn't go away. She was doing saline rinses for months! She finally took it out after a couple years and thank goodness the bump went away. I got mine done many years ago. The screw that was used lost its little rhinestone within the first week, and I tried to replace it but couldn't! I swear it closed up within seconds because it was so new. I tried really hard to force a new run in there but nope, it just bruised my nose. Obviously we are in the minority, but our experiences weren't great.

We live in Europe, by my husband works as a civilian for the US Dpartment of Defense. So we are not immigrants, and don't qualify for social benefits, of course. However, we can use local doctors and they are paid by our US insurance. We could also get a local policy, or just pay out of pocket as the costs are lower. I am not allowed to work on the economy, butnour kids could use local schools. We get housing allowance and they paid for us to move here. Dependents will be moved if they are not yet 21. We are covered under SOFA: the Status of Forces Agreement. It is what binds me to US law and not Belgian law when it comes to things like homeschooling. My friend's husband works here as a contractor and they are not covered under SOFA. She does not get an APO address, tax-free grocery shopping, or fuel rations, nor any help with housing contracts. She has to obey Belgian education law, and she ended up enrolling her kids in a cover school since they can't pass the tests in French. The government wants her to take assimilation classes. She really misses out on the perks. So an easier, faster, more streamlined process would be for your dh to apply for a federal job through USAJobs. I'm sure cyber security has a lot of options.

First of all, great job with the guitar! You sound great. I can't believe you've had a decade off - your skill is still there. I love it when moms invest in themselves! Especially with little ones like you have, it is easy to let our interests slide because there doesn't seem to be time or energy. You're amazing for working on something you love and finding balance.

I agree on the layers - and you don't want them to be cotton! We have a variety of non-cotton long underwear pieces and all have worked well. My youngest participated in a 1 day/week "outdoor school" where they spent most of the day outside no matter the weather. I dressed him in long underwear pants & shirt, athletic jogging pants, a poly fleece sweatshirt, snow bibs, parka, ski socks, ski gloves, and a fleece-lined wool hat that covered his ears. He was always toasty.

My kids stayed warm in the Land's End Squall Parkas. We lived in Alaska, and it was often down in the -20s F in winter. If you aren't hanging around a lot outside, then you don't need a super warm coat - you'll warm up the car before you leave, and the time outside will be minimal. For playing/walking outside, the exercise creates more body heat. You will be more concerned about hands & heads - you need good ski gloves and hats that tie under the chin to protect the ears. For boots, look into Bogs with wool socks.

I feel like I'm able to keep up with housework, and I already take a French class I enjoy, but it would be nice to have more time to myself! Right away, I would hire personal tutors for piano and French. I would then set up a schedule for myself in which I would set aside some time for housework, piano, French, and prepping dinner. I would also join a community club or volunteer group. For my "free time" I would watch tv shows in French, knit, and read books (or listen to audiobooks while knitting!). I would plan great vacations, but they would be more difficult to take if we had to follow the school calendar. Eventually I would take some courses and work on building a career.

Your cabin is big, but it will be easy to fill it up with furniture! I would definitely have a small-ish table w/ four chairs, where the kids can sit while you do group lessons, games, art, etc. If your kids all do independent work and are easily distracted, then I would either give them each a workstation. You could squeeze in separate desks, or just set up cardboard barriers on the table - we have used those trifold display boards that are used for presentations. You could do individual lessons at the couch with lap desks, and do your read alouds there. Set up a barrier (screen, bookshelf, etc.) to block the noise & visual distraction from bothering the kids at their desks. I keep art supplies in a rolling cart and just bring it over to the table when needed. I would keep decor simple - lots of posters just become invisible over time. I would definitely have a big whiteboard on the wall and a good speaker for audiobooks, music, etc.

When my family moved to OR, my mom was told the same thing and ended up over-preparing. Any good gortex jacket is fine for most of the rainy season. It can be a lightweight, unlined jacket that you just layer over your clothes, or something more like a lightweight ski parka. Columbia, Helly Hansen, North Face ($$$) are common brands. You can wait until you get there a pick up jackets at Costco. It doesn't get that cold, so you can just wear a sweatshirt under your jacket. Umbrellas are not common. You won't be wading through huge puddles, so any waterproof shoe is fine (I wore Keens, Danskos, whatever). You don't need galoshes or overshoes. If drainage is a problem in places, you just skip around the puddles. Every school I've been to in the PNW allowed the kids to wear their street shoes inside. Rain in Seattle is more of a constant drizzle than a huge downpour, so just flip up your hood when it gets wet and you will be fine.

MIF course 1 should be the same as Singapore 6. The MIF courses 1-3 cover all of prealgebra; algebra comes after. I plan on having my youngest do all 3, but we can accelerate as needed. He is young, and I would rather be thorough than jump ahead.

One cheap option for a device that can use Audible is a cheap smartphone. I used a Microsoft Lumia phone and installed the Audible app. The phone just uses wifi to download the purchases. You can find the phones dirt cheap on Amazon. The speakers weren't great, but we used an aux cable to hook it into an external speaker or the car stereo.

I'm sorry it's such a rough start. One thing I wonder - do you think the reviews you are reading are a fair representation? I know CC can be pick about people "slandering" the company/method, plus maybe the peope who don't like it are just less likely to speak up? Also - people may be motivated to really "talk up" the program if they are trying to recruit more families. Personally, I can't imagine that that kind of inflexibility would work for most kids. Can you contact someone about the geography - clarify what to do? What about asking them to assign less work on a holiday week? I think a huge reason that CC is not very popular on the board is because most of us like to customize education. It sounds like you are having to fit your DD into a box. :(

The TM breaks most lessons into 2-3 days. It tells you to do the first part of the textbook, and then the first part of the workbook. On your own you would just work out of the textbook until you get to a logical stopping point (before the kid gets overwhelmed) and then do the workbook problems that cover what you just did. I admit I don't really do it that way, though. We usually do one lesson per day. I often condensed two lessons into one day. You just have to respond to how your own kid is doing. Go as slow as they need. Math in Focus is challenging, and some kids need to work on every step. Other kids understand quickly and can go straight to the main point. My youngest did 1A through 5B and is now in course 1A (basically 6A). I highly recommend using something for daily review. It really helps make Math in Focus a breeze because all of the foundational skills stay fresh. We call it review & preview. I used Math Minutes for levels 1-5, but we are using 180 Days of Math this year, and I like it just as much, maybe more.

3 hours might be ok, but it's not like kids are eating a sandwich in the hallway before they enter the room. So you have the 3 hours plus whatever amount of time between their last meal and the start of class. A little fresh fruit would not satisfy my kids.

There is a continuum of activity levels and ability to focus, so you can't generalize about all kids who have a diagnosis of ADHD. For my sons, it is absolutely, without a doubt, a disabling condition that prevents them from participating in normal activities or learning anywhere close to their intellectual abilities. It may statistically be "normal" in that it occurs naturally, but I can assure you that it is a very real disorder, and that for MY kids, I would absolutely feel negligent if I did not have them treated medically. It would be like denying them glasses, insulin, or hearing aids.

Wow, that is a big jump to say that one can just look up the side effects of recreational methamphetmines and apply those to children who take a prescribed dose of amphetamines such as Ritalin or Concerta. They are not the same thing. For one thing, the composition, purity, and dosages are different, as is the way it releases in the body. It's a very ignorant thing to say that you can just judge ADHD meds by street drugs. I'm not speaking for everyone, but MY kids who are on stimulants have not experienced needeing increased doses. When the meds wear off they are not lethargic, they are hyper. The meds correct their brain chemistry and allow them to function like normal people. Without the meds they are disabled (literally, not figuratively). Meds have made my kids less anxious, more able to handle frustration, and have increased their self confidence. They eat well and grow well. The only side effect they have is sleep difficulties, but one can't tell whether that is from the meds or the ADHD.

Prime Climb is a fun game - you need to understand multiplication & division, factors & multiples (but don't have to have them memorized).

There's a whole series of "A Little History of..." including the world (Gombrich), science, philosophy, religion, the United States, & economics. Our Island Story (British history) Lots of the Who Was/What Was/Where Is books are available on audiobook

I have both and VASTLY prefer MIF. MM breaks everything down into tiny parts with so much practice for each part ... I mean, it drove me nuts to even assign it. MIF more quickly gets to the big picture. Visually, it is a million times easier on the eyes. The teaching is right in the textbok with photos of manipulatives, diagrams, nice use of color (but not busy!). I've used MIF 1-6 and love, love, love it. I bought my textbooks for under $10 each on Amazon and workbooks at RR. Now in 6, I bought the extra practice WB so my son wouldn't have to copy problems from the book, but you can get a very solid education with just the textbook & workbook. No need for the TM. You can use supplements for extra practice if you want, but a quick learner won't need them. They even sell a homeschool answer key for the 1-5 workbooks now.

I went to an Aldi in belgium today. I have no idea if this is a typical store, but it's a bit bigger than the Lidl in town (very similar store model). You all are definitely getting a whole different supply of (American) food. In Europe they don't sell milk by the gallon, but a liter of UHT milk at Aldi is €0,69, or about $0.75. Normally I buy it for about €1 per liter. I didn't see the eggs. Most of the produce is cheap and looks fine. I got a huge, ripe mango for under $2, which is cheaper than in Alaska (small, hard mango for $2.50). A good portion of the store is cookies & junk food. We shopped hungry so we got some junky things to try. I got some €4 take & bake pizzas, and they were ok. The gyro one has corn on it. ;) Dh was put off by the presentation. It feels like a dented can store. He bought some spreads, and he doesn't read French. When we got home I told him he'd bought beef tartare (minced raw beef)! Only €1,29! Oh well, it tastes fine. The chicken pita one and the chicken Greek salad were delicious.

This is exactly what my 9 year old is using independently. He does a 2-page spread each day and it is working well. It's actually good therapy for his perfectionism, LOL. He just finished all the lower case letters.

Star Trek and Quilts! That is kind of close to how it is here. My husband really seriously wants to decorate the house in Godzilla and Elvis. Our new house has a den that he can pimp out with MST3K movie posters and his precious figurines, and I get the rest of the house. Unfortunately I am a decoration minimalist and have no style, so the house is pretty boring.

I like the suggestion of the Cartoon Guide to Chemistry, (the first half of the book?) maybe with Crash Course Chemistry videos. Along with The Disappearing Spoon, you could look into the books Stuff Matters and Why Is Milk White?